25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

We are looking to upgrade our 1988 253 Convincor with a 2000 25 Outlaw. I can't image a better riding 25 ft boat then the 253. Does anyone have hands on experience with both boats? How does the ride in each compare? We will have it at LOTO so it will be used in some pretty rough water. Also, how would you compare fit and finish between the two? What speeds will we see out of the 25 Outlaw with a 502 Mag? Any other info is appreciated.

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

i have driven and repowered both boats, i cant say that there is much of a difference other than the baja is a little more appealing than the checkmate. i can say this baja seems to have planted the drive in the basement back then and a lil earlier , so at speeds they do become a drivers boat.

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

I had a 2001 25 with a 496ho and it ran 68mph all day long

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

So this boat should run 67 all day long, right? It has ten less hp than the 496HO.

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

I think it would because a friend of mine had the same 502 and before he installed a pro charger he was running about that.

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

What does that mean? :confused:

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

I have run with a local guy here who has a 27' Baja. While he only has a stock 502, he is no match for my 540. BUT, my 259 Checkmate handles the water better than his Baja at any speed.

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

The 272 handles much differently than the 25 OL. The 25 OL has a much deeper V- handles the rough stuff better.

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

The hulls are almost IDENTICAL on the bottom,both have 24 degree deadrise,the 272/275 does have a slight pad on rear,the 25 is a few hundred pounds heavier.You might be thinking of the h2x. I don't know much about the checkmate but the baja's also RIVET the upper deck to the lower hull until you get into the 29 ft.The drop in hull liners on bajas tend to flex and move around under hard conditions, smaller baja's look flashy but they are NOT a true offshore boat by any means either,Smitty

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

What year is your boat? An 88 or 98 if it's an 88 it's a 251 if it's a 98 it's a 253 they are entirely different boats.The 253 didn't come out until 92 or 93.

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

What were the differences besides the beam?

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

Have you looked at the NORDIC 25 ?

Faster ...Great Bottom.....Less Money then the Baja or Checkmate

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

The bottoms on the two are pretty close,but that's about it,from the water line up they are completly different,beam,deck,cockpit has more room as well as the cabin with the 253.If it is a 253 I would keep what you have,if it's a 251 the 25 Outlaw is quite a bit bigger,heavier and would ride better in the rough the Outlaw rides real flat the 251 tends to porpoise a bit.The 251 power for power will be faster, the 253 and the Outlaw would more comparable.The 253 is now the 270.

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

I would not buy either until you took a test ride on a busy day at the Ozarks. I know someone that had a 25 Outlaw on the 12 MM and would not take it out on a weekend has since been sold. That lake as you know gets very rough and you need to test a boat in those conditions to make a educated decision.

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

I had a 97 272 w/ a 502 mag. Sold that boat and bought an 01 25 Outlaw w/ 496 HO. The dealer let me have the boat for the day while down in Cumberland on a houseboat trip. I drove the two on the same day. The bottoms may look similar and I'm not sure of the exact difference, but the Outlaw is way better in the rough than the 272. The 272 is a bit faster in smooth water, but the 25 will beat it in the rough. There was a group in a 25 Outlaw at the Chicago poker run. They said 4-5' water, not sure but it was rough. I remember looking over thinking that guy was nuts. He hung in there with the best of them and looked like he was having a blast.

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

ive had my 89 251 checkmate on the main channel at LOTO for 7 weekends this summer so far including the shootout and both holidays, we allways stay between the 7 and 28mm and will definately say i can hang with any 25 OL in the rough stuff and by the looks of it when were side by side, im definately riding smoother! the narrower beam is the key to the smooth ride in the rough stuff allthough i dont like the lack of cockpit space, i do like the 63-65 mph with a stock 330hp carbed 454!! :evilb:

my 251 will only porpose on perfectly (like glass) smooth water, and even then its only at 38 mph, i little tab or acceleration and it goes away, so ill just cruise at 35 or 45mph! :D

my 251 is for sale and there is no way i would trade up for a 25 OL, allthough they look a little more appealing the difference does not add up to much, im going to upgrade to atleast 29ft,

ive also noticed alot of 25 outlaws at LOTO are all beat up pretty bad, ie: cracked floors,cracked dashes, missing cuddy doors and hardware etc.etc.
i have yet to see a checkmate cracked up!

ALL just IMO!

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

I would agree the 25 outlaw is marginally better than the 272 in rough water but either boat SUCKS in anything much more than TRUE 3 footers with any kind of chop,it isn't like the 25 will ride in 3-5 footers the same as a 272 in 2-3's. Ive driven both boats and own one of the 2 and i could not tell any real difference when set-up identical. They both have a ill-fitting drop in liner that will crack,rattle and fall apart if subjected to much rough water use let alone what it does to your back,neck and legs,Smitty

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

It is a 1988 251. I must have typed 253 because I have also been looking for those also.

Shane, there is no way we will get into a 2000 25 OL for $10,000 and a 88 251 Checkmate. The boat is 12 yrs newer, bigger engine, and has better equipt (gauges etc). We are limited in size to around 25 to 26 ft because of our dock. We actually only have a 20 ft slip but we can manage a 25 ft in there.

hharris, 65 with a stock, carbed 454? Is that GPS or speedo? We have that same package and we don't even see 63.

Thanks for all the info.

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

Smitty, like I said, I had both. Both were great boats but the 25 would smoke my 272 in any water but glass. Maybe my 272 was set-up wrong, maybe something else. I could run my 25 with alot of bigger boats in the rough, I had to tighten screws in both of them after but I felt much more comfortable in the 25.

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

hey mpally, where at in STL are ya! im in arnold, my 251 is for sale and will be parked in arnold this weekend!

http://www.speedwake.com/classifieds....php?a=2&b=599

63 was GPS at clearwater lake on memorial day weekend,2 people and a cooler, but you cant get any nicer water conditions than that!


65 is on the dream-o-meter, which bounces around, but ive ran next to several boats in this same speed range that are solid 65mph boats and we were side by side the whole way! like the big dicks run last friday!

i have only Gps it once, due to i do not own one, that was a borrowed hand held from a freind just to get an idea of what the boat will do, being the speedo isnt too accurate at all! its got the white plastic pickup on the back of the transom and it likes to kick up and read really slow!

so it will top out at 63 gps confirmed, 65 might be stretching it, but im sure its possible with one person, 1/4 gas, and no cooler! with a tailwind :D

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

Good looking Check

Re: 25 Outlaw vs. 253 Checkmate
 

A 25' Checkmate with 496HO will run low 70's on GPS. The Baja 25OL's with 496HO run strong but have a hard time breaking 65 mph.

The 25OL runs good in the rough, but so does the 25' Checkmate even though it's 750lbs lighter. The narrow bottom on the Checkmates are excellent for rough stuff. So I wouldn't say you'd be going up to a better ride.

Fit and Finish: The Baja 25OL is a nice boat, but it won't have as good of glass and gel work as the Checkmate. Look at the deck/hull joint on your current Checkmate, should be riveted, screwed, and thru-bolted closely on center. They also use marine adhesive. The 25OL your looking at might only be riveted.

Baja makes a lot more boats than Checkmate and sometimes things get missed like penetrations and weep holes not sealed Check for it.